November 30, 2003 Mr. Michael D. Eisner, Chairman The Walt Disney Company 500 South Buena Vista Street Burbank, CA 91521 Dear Michael: It is with deep sadness and regret that I send you this letter of resignation from the Walt Disney Company, both as Chairman of the Feature Animation Division and as Vice Chairman of […]

{{link http://www.drudgereport.com/flash1.htm The Drudge Report}} is reporting a \\{{link http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB107022298535883000,00.html?mod=home_whats_news_us Wall Street Journal}}\\ story (paid subscription required for WSJ link) that claims Roy Disney submitted his resignation from Walt Disney’s company board and his chairmanship of Disney feature animation on Sunday and called for Chairman and CEO Michael Eisner to do the same. Disney sent […]

New Zealand based {{link http://fun.mukpuddy.com Mukpuddy Animation}} has relaunched their website making it a lot faster, and a lot easier to navigate. They have also finished work on their first fully 2D animated music video, available to view on the site.

Up to the minute DVD info page {{link http://www.thedigitalbits.com/ The Digital Bits}} are usually first online with the latest disc rumors, and if not first, they’ll be able to confirm or deny reports based on their close association with the main Studios. Now, in the always entertaining {{link http://www.thedigitalbits.com/articles/barriemaxwell/maxwell112803.html Coming Classic Attractions}} column, writer Barrie […]

The {{link http://forums.toonzone.net/index.php? Toon Zone Forums}} today report on a couple of stories that just appeared at {{link http://www.nytimes.com/ The New York Times.com}}. The first, {{link http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?t=95782 Studios Sue To End Screener Ban}} looks at the ongoing concern that the MPAA DVD screener ban imposed on the studios to help crack down on piracy will […]

An extended trailer for the upcoming sequel to Ghost in the Shell is now available online from {{link http://catsuka.com/ Catsuka.com}} (direct link). This amazing six minute clip showcases the incredible integration of CG and traditional animation achieved by director Mamoru Oshii and rises the hopes for this much anticipated feature. The trailer sports the film’s […]

{{link http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/atlanta/1103/28peabo.html The Atlanta Journal-Constitution}} reports that because of tax-trouble the IRS is auctioning off the property of singer Peabo Bryson. Some of the items for sale include: – the 1992 Grammy award for the song \\Beauty and the Beast\\ recorded with Celine Dion – the 1993 Grammy award for the song \\A Whole New […]

\\The Daily Mail\\ reports (via {{link http://www.broadway.com/template_1.asp?CI=32605&CT=38 Broadway.com}}) that up-and-coming theater actress Laura Michelle Kelly “will play the ‘practically perfect in every way’ nanny in the upcoming stage musical” of \\Mary Poppins\\. The 22 year old’s other credits include \\Beauty and the Beast\\ (as Belle), \\ Les Misérables\\ (as Eponine), \\South Pacific\\, \\The King and […]

A teaser for Miyazaki’s upcoming feature, originally included with the Special Preview of Innocence in Japan, is now available from Buta-Connection (direct link here).

{{link http://www.dvdtoons.com/ DVD Toons}} lets us know that 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment has announced the third season of Futurama on DVD. The four disc box set, will contain the same kids of extras that fans have enjoyed in previous sets, and should retail for $49.98. Check out the {{link http://www.dvdtoons.com/news/498 full specs}}! Also announced […]

AWN’s {{link http://vfxworld.com/?sa=adv&code=319b255d&atype=articles&id=1931 VFX World}} talks to The Haunted Mansion‘s visual effects supervisor Jay Redd on the challenge of creating 999 ghostly looks for the film, which melds live-action actors with CG-enhanced effects work.

{{link http://forum.bcdb.com/gforum.cgi?post=15576 The Big Cartoon Database Forum}} reports that two special upcoming screenings of Les Triplettes De Belleville, Sylvain Chomet’s international co-production, are to be held in Ottawa and Vancouver, representing France at this year’s European Union Film Festival. The Ottawa showing takes place tomorrow evening, at 7pm on November 29, while the Vancouver premiere […]

Jerry Beck’s {{link http://www.cartoonresearch.com/kaz.html Cartoon Research}} just posted a look at the Brazillian edition of the Looney Tunes Golden DVD Collection, which will probably frustrate those in region one land who dislike those fold-out digipaks! Coming housed in a “lunchbox”-styled case, with the discs inside as individual editions in their own keepcases, this looks like […]

Though Pirates Of The Caribbean was let off very lightly from the critical and commercial disaster that was The Country Bears, it seems that any ride-inspired film to come out from the gates of Walt Disney Pictures will be forever more compared to that Johnny Depp-led behemoth. Perhaps not letting the film speak for itself, […]

Just a quick heads up that Disney’s official page for The Lion King 1½ has just updated with the sound working now, text clips from movie critics praising the movie (Michael Scheinfeld from TV Guide says it serves up “an irreverent circle of laughs” and Leonard Maltin calls it “an animation extravaganza”), a picture of […]

During the weekend, Paul Dini was at the premiere screening of Justice League‘s Christmas episode “Comfort and Joy,” at Wizard World Texas in Arlington, where he provided updates on the future of Duck Dodgers and the animated Batman. Check out Toon Zone for the full story.

After six years in production, this all-French feature is finally coming to theaters December 3rd. The movie is an adaptation of Noah’s Ark, in which frogs help humans and other animals during the flood. Director Jacques-Rémy Girerd spent two years of research to translate the naive designs of Iouri Tcherenkov into a movie. The voice […]

Happy Thanksgiving to those readers where the holiday is celebrated today! Because of the extended Thanksgiving weekend here in the United States updates to this site may be slow until Monday.

{{link http://mag.awn.com/index.php?ltype=pageone&article_no=1930 AWN}} looks at how Macromedia’s Flash animation software, once considered a “toy for Internet users”, has grown into a “serious production tool” for creating broadcast quality animation. They take a look at the views of “Flash animation from both the designers and animators who use it and the TV companies that broadcast programs […]

Frank And Ollie, the 1995 documentary film that peeks into the extraordinary Disney careers and personal lives of animators Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston, was put in “wide release” on November 18th, though copies have been very hard to find. Stores such as Target, KMART, Walmart, Best Buy, Circuit City and Blockbuster seem not to […]

{{link http://www.comingsoon.net/news.php?id=2497 ComingSoon.net}} has a new promotional image from DreamWorks’ \\Shrek 2\\. Be sure to check out their site for a larger version of the image. UPDATE: I just received an email from an alert reader saying that this image is neither an actual promotional shot nor new. Apparently it is fan art that has […]

The official site of ABC is now sporting a page for the upcoming Peanuts special I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown! “It’s Christmas vacation and, as usual, ReRun’s big sister is stressing him out, so he decides to turn to his best friend, Snoopy, for amusement and holiday cheer.” Follow the link for […]

The Moose Hole gives a mixed review of the feature film adaptation of the classic Disney theme park attraction. “If you are looking for another Pirates Of The Caribbean, wait for the film’s sequel rather then searching for it in The Haunted Mansion” but the site does find it slightly entertaining. Read the full review […]

MovieHole reports that Demi Moore’s production company is considering making a live-action Barbie movie, with Ethan Hawke and Ashton Kutcher being considered for the role of ‘Ken’. The website jokes, “Thankfully, no word on Demi starring as Barbie yet.”

While looking over the background of the new \\Incredibles\\ composer Michael Giacchino, I came across {{link http://www.gsamusic.com/additional/Giacchino.pdf this resumé}} from the Gorfaine/Schwartz Agency. One of the Giacchino’s credits listed under “Motion Pictures” is \\One Man Band\\, an “animated short film” from “Pixar Animation Studios”, produced by “Brad Bird” (who happens to be the director for […]

Japanese studio Production IG is co-producing with Manga Video a new movie, Dead Leaves. The feature, slated to be released next January, is helmed by Hiroyuki Imaishi and based on designs by Imaitoonz, whose aggressive style has appeared on MTV generics as well as on commercials for Sega and Sony. These two artists have created […]

Okay, let the bad pirate/ship puns begin: this summer’s surprise Disney blockbuster {{link http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00005JM5E/qid=1069876840/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_1/002-1902555-2863210?v=glance&s=dvd&n=507846 Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl}} hits the shiny movie disc format on December 2nd. The always excellent {{link http://www.dvdfile.com/software/review/dvd-video_7/piratesofthecaribbeancurse.html DVD File is first online with a full review}} of the disc, which should please long-time DisneyLand […]

As we approach Thanksgiving (in the United States), Wade Sampson of {{link http://www.jimhillmedia.com/legacy/index.htm?../articles/guest/wsampson.11262003.1.htm~contentFrame Jim Hill Media}} writes about the history of the famous Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and the role that Mickey Mouse has played in it.

Several people (including “macontosh2000” at the {{link http://animation.skyblueproductions.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=105 A-N Forum}}) have reported that the news page at composer {{link http://www.michaelgiacchino.com/EPMnews.html Michael Giacchino’s website}} notes that he has been signed to score Pixar’s \\The Incredibles\\. Giacchino’s {{link http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0315974/ previous experience}} is almost completely in scoring video games. His most well known credit is for writing the […]